Chapter 6
The main parlor was bathed in ghostly blue moonlight filtering through the tall, arched windows. Julian moved with absolute silence across the thick Persian carpet, his dark clothing blending seamlessly into the midnight shadows of the room. Behind him, Clara kept watch near the double doors, her ears straining for the slightest sound of footsteps on the staircase.
Julian stopped in front of the imposing oil portrait of Arthur and Clara’s grandfather—a stern-faced man with cold eyes that seemed to follow any movement in the room. Julian reached up, grasping the heavy gilded frame, and swung the portrait outward on its hidden hinges. Revealed behind it was a heavy steel wall safe, its dial gleaming dully in the dim light.
From his pocket, Julian pulled out the small leather-bound prayer book he had retrieved from Arthur’s nightstand while the older man slept. He flipped the fragile, yellowed pages carefully until he found a sequence of numbers scribbled in Arthur’s sharp, angular handwriting. With practiced precision, Julian spun the dial: left to forty-two, right to eighteen, left to seventy-six.
With a satisfying, muted click, the heavy steel door of the safe swung open. Julian switched on a small penlight, illuminating the contents within. Neatly stacked piles of cash rested beside a collection of digital flash drives, legal documents, and a folded manila envelope labeled simply: The Boston Trust.
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Julian reached inside, pulling out the flash drives and the envelope. He slipped them into the interior pocket of his black suit jacket just as a faint, metallic creak echoed from the hallway outside. He froze, his hand hovering near the safe door, his eyes darting toward the parlor entrance where Clara stood motionless.
The sound of slow, heavy footsteps approached the double doors. The brass doorknob began to turn, slowly and deliberately. Julian didn't panic; he smoothly swung the portrait back into place, merging with the shadows near the fireplace just as the door clicked open and a tall silhouette filled the threshold.
